Man charged in Minneapolis hair salon bombing
Michael Francisco
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A man is facing charges for a bombing at a Minneapolis hair salon back in 2022.
Federal charges were filed Tuesday against 59-year-old Michael Allen Francisco for the explosion at Studio 411, a hair salon in the Bryn Mawr neighborhood of Minneapolis.
United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger announced that Francisco has been charged with maliciously damaging a building engaged in interstate commerce by means of an explosive device. The charge stems from the incident on Nov. 20, 2022, when Francisco allegedly placed an explosive device on the salon's window, causing significant damage to the property.
Authorities say Francisco returned about a year later, in November 2023, and threw a rock through the salon's window. DNA pulled from the rock led authorities to arrest Francisco.
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The criminal complaint against Francisco also connects him to an unrelated incident in Minneapolis in March 2023. In that incident, police encountered Francisco trespassing at an abandoned lumber yard. After being told to leave, Francisco walked away on foot. Officers then spotted an abandoned Ford F-150 running on the same property.
Inside the truck, officers found an explosive device. According to the criminal complaint, the device in the vehicle was made of paper/cardboard that matched the device used in the Studio 411 bombing.
A search warrant executed at Francisco's residence in March uncovered explosive components, a firearm, and a jacket that matched the one worn by the vandal from the November 2023 incident, prosecutors say. Investigators also found suspected meth in Francisco's home, the complaint details.
The complaint says Francisco confessed to both the bombing and vandalism during interviews.
He is currently being held in jail on the charges. The motive behind the bombing and vandalism is not outlined in the criminal complaint.